


Once upon a time.

by elveriamoir



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, M/M, Multi, Police, Romance, Slash, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 21:29:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15228270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elveriamoir/pseuds/elveriamoir
Summary: This is a new one for me, writing in the modern age, so please be gentle. I’m hoping I can cover an episode in one chapter (two if it is particularly involved). As of right now this story does not have a beta-reader…I am hoping I can impose on my normal lady so that you do not have to suffer through my terrible grammar.





	Once upon a time.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own know of the characters or places in this story. I have borrowed them from NBC show Grimm, which is based on The Grimm’s Fairytales. 
> 
>  
> 
> Warning: Illness.  
> Warning: Violence.  
> Warning: Death.

Chapter 1. 

“ _The wolf thought to himself, what a tender young creature. What a nice plump mouthful _…” The Brothers Grimm 1812.__

__%_ _

__Nick smiled to the sales manager, palming the velvet box and slipping his card back into his wallet. He was finally getting the life he’d dreamed of since he was a young boy of twelve. While he was mildly upset that his parents wouldn’t be there for this, he had grown used to their absence. He had his Aunt Marie, his partner Hank, the officers and detectives at the station, and most importantly he had Juliette. He grasped the manager’s hand in a firm grip, allowing his happiness to shine in his steel-grey eyes and his smile grew as the man’s mask slipped to show the softer side._ _

__He left the shopping center, grin only growing as he met up with Hank and they fell into easy banter. The teasing grew when he allowed himself to catalogue what was a successful lawyer walking past them. She was easily on a six figure salary, carried herself like she owned the world and as she turned to look at Nick, very obviously not human. A terrified glance to Hank showed him his partner had not noticed anything out of the ordinary, and as it was never easy to get anything passed his eagle eyes, Nick swallowed and convinced himself that he was probably more tired than he had realised._ _

__The moment passed as they received a call of a possible homicide along one of the trails in the woodland surrounding Portland. Having shaken himself back into a relatively good mood on the drive, Nick found it once again slipping as he listened to the Forest Service Officer describe what had happened. It evaporated entirely as he crouched down to examine all that was left of their victim. An arm badly scratched up, torn from the body itself. Nick sighed and scrubbed his hand across tired eyes as the idea of someone capable of doing this drove the earlier strangeness from his mind. He had a job to do and he was not letting someone get away with this in his city. He shook his head, it might not be a murder, the evidence so far all pointed to an animal attack, deep in his mind he knew that it was rarely that simple though._ _

__The officer led them along a trail and the nagging in the back of Nick’s head grew. He glanced at Hank as they received confirmation that their victim was female and saw the same resignation in his partner’s eyes. He allowed himself to ask the right questions, heart falling further as the forest officer showed them a very human footprint. One of some form of work boot, not a print of a hiking boot or a trainer. His shoulders slumped slightly as he gave himself a shake. The last two prints could be entirely innocent, the first, this far in the forest and from the trail, was most probably not._ _

__Walking away as Hank finished up with the officer Nick went over previous cases in his head. The closest he could bring up was a case a few months back of a hiker and a bob cat, where the hiker had come out worse. He was distracted from the conversation with his partner as the sound of music caught his attention. A fallen i-pod, lying between two logs, just outside the crime scene tape, gave them the position of the start of the attack. Hank somehow managed to lift his mood, singing along to a song Nick hadn’t heard in years, a wry smile pulled at his mouth as he patted the older detective on the shoulder and left to inform the crime technician of their find._ _

__%_ _

__A few hours later, cold having seeped through his jacket, and Hank blowing on damp chilled fingers next to him, Nick finally arrived at the precinct. Splitting up, Hank headed down to hand their evidence in, while Nick walked to their desk to start digging. He hoped he could pull up a non-human suspect for the attack, but was going to look deeper into the Munson Creek Falls attack. Mind firmly on the case as he entered the bull pen, Nick stumbled into and nearly sent flying one of their sergeants as a booked suspect’s face melted into that of a lizard before his eyes. Apologising to Wu and accepting the sarcasm as payback, Nick blinked rapidly as the scene before him faded back to normal…no-one else having seemed to notice anything._ _

__He breathed in sharply through his nose, closing his eyes and pressing his fingers into their corners as he released a slow breath. He might be going insane, but that needed to wait until they had figured what caused the death of the girl in the woods. Any and all breakdowns he needed to have could wait until then. Barely realising he had reached his desk he flopped down and rested his head on the key board in front of him. It was going to be a long day._ _

__Grumbling to himself, Nick was reading through the Muson Creek case when Hank returned, and he had to stop himself hugging his partner when the smell of strong black coffee reached his nose. It was going to be a much longer day than anticipated. By the time the pair had gotten anything useful Captain Renard had strode from his office, clearly on a mission, Nick having paused for a second to admire the man’s control, even when he was obviously stressed. Wu had popped by to see if they wanted to partake in one of the bets he was currently running and left rapidly when they had both turned to him, stress marking their eyes. A suspect, the same one Nick had seen lizard at him, had broken an officer’s nose and was now handcuffed to the table of an interigation room. So the ping of a notification on Hank’s computer from the prints he had left at the lab was a welcome break. Glancing at the clock, and groaning as he realised it was after six, Nick stood shrugging into his jacket as Hank copied the address of the missing person’s report. Taking a breath to centre himself Nick nodded, to Hank and they left for one of the harder aspects of their work._ _

__Talking to the missing girl’s room mate they had an almost positive id to go with the finger prints along with a time line. Another two full hours later they were back at the precinct and it was Hank who finally called time. Nick looked up with screen-tired eyes and nodded as his partner hoped that what ever had happened to that poor girl had happened fast. Wanting to figure everything out warred with the knowledge that there was little they could do until DNA was worked. Agreeing to call it a night, nick nearly left the ring he had been so excited at buying on his desk. It was only Hank handing it to him with a laugh that reminded him. Rolling his eyes at himself Nick left the precinct. He clearly needed a good night’s rest._ _

__%_ _

__Nick pulled up outside of the home he shared with Juliette and smiled at the thought of a night spent with her. He wouldn’t be asking tonight, too tired and too emotional to do so, he did want it to be perfect for her after all. However a night spent curled up with the woman he loved in his arms sounded like heaven at the moment. The neighbours dog freaked him for a moment, before he shook of the feeling of being watched and entered the house. His cautious entrance to the kitchen made his day better as he saw his Aunt Marie sitting at the table, but even as he hugged her the differences registered in his mind and he pulled away. A feeling that he couldn’t quite place sweeping over him._ _

__His aunt had shaved her head for as long as he could remember, but there was no hair there now. No eyelashes or eyebrows and her bones had felt bird thin even as she had returned the strength of his embrace. He agreed to take a walk outside so they could talk, his aunt as much as she had accepted Juliette as part of his life, clearly not wanting to show weakness in front of her. Nick felt his heart fall at the thought he had missed so much in what was going on with his aunt and bit down hard on the inside of his cheek when she said she maybe had two months left. His mind was reeling, she couldn’t leave him as well, she was too strong to be taken by something so normal as cancer. Not his Aunt Marie. Not the woman who picked up the pieces of both their lives when his parents died in a wreck, who held him through the nightmares and the confusion. Not the woman who inspired him to enter the police force and smiled wider than anyone else when he made it and laughed in joy when he stepped up to detective._ _

__He stopped walking, and unable to help himself pulled the woman next to him into a hug. If he could hide her from the world then just maybe he could protect her. Maybe she wouldn’t leave. That she allowed him, even sagged against him told him more than her clipped words ever could. Swallowing he released her gently. His grey eyes met hers, so similar and yet so different. He nodded._ _

__“What is it we need to talk about Aunt Marie?”_ _

__

__She smiled up at him, a weak smile, one that instantly had him on alert. He was not going to like what she had to say._ _

__His aunt was serious, even as tears welled in her eyes and he listened to her talk in disbelief. There was a misfortune in their family, he had to break up with Juliette. She was talking about nightmares and things that others couldn’t see. His eyes widened. His sleep had been uneasy and he had seen what ever had happened today. He grasped her hands carefully._ _

__“Tell me everything.”_ _

__Even as she opened her mouth, her faced changed. Fear showed in her eyes and she uttered words that chilled nick to the bone. “Oh my God, He’s here!”_ _

__It was only Nick’s training as a cop that had him ducking in time, even as his aunt pulled a blade from her walking cane and entered the fray with a savagery Nick had never seen in her. His mind was struggling to adapt to what he was seeing, but he pushed it all aside. This thing was attacking his aunt. The woman who had raised him, loved him, as her own was in danger. Questions could wait, explanations could wait. No one hurt what was his._ _

__What followed was a blur, Nick saw red and the next he new he was lying in the road, an empty gun in his hands and the creature lying next to him, unmoving and slowly fading back into a man. Giving the body next to him a long look and deciding it was at least unconscious Nick rushed to his aunt, cradling her crumpled for in his arms he shut his eyes, fighting down his panic even as Juliette rushed from the house. She had heard the fight, saw the blade and rang Hank. Who was on his way, having ran an ambulance and called for back up._ _

__Nick sat on the wet ground as Juliette and Hank kept people away from him. The necklace his aunt had passed to him was clenched in an unyielding fist as his reality tilted on its axis. The nightmares were real, things other than human went bump in the night. They had attacked his aunt, would attack him. They wanted them dead. How could he protect those he cared for if he didn’t even know the world out there? Why was it suddenly all happening now?_ _

**Author's Note:**

> The first episode of Grimm was based off Little Red Riding Hood.
> 
> "Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to the 10th century by several European folk tales, including one from Italy called The False Grandmother (Italian: La finta nonna), later written among others by Italo Calvino in the Italian Folktales collection; the best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. The story has been changed considerably in various retellings and subjected to numerous modern adaptations and readings. Other names for the story are: "Little Red Ridinghood", "Little Red Cap" or simply "Red Riding Hood".


End file.
